Apparatus for fiberizing and deriving other products from wood.



A PPARATUsjFOR PIBBRIZING .AND DBRIV'ING OTHER PRODUCTS FROM immun,v i. y f vMPLIQ'ATIONMimi)1Jnd.z1,1904, l

' w unimi-,algn 1.`

l w @Meld/a6 f NITED sTAffrns PATENT 1 OFFICE.

.ARTHUR W. HANDFORD, 0F

DISTILLATES AND FIBRE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, .ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS son FlBEmzl'Nc AND DERIVING oTHERfPRobucs FROM w'oob.A

Naeoaza.

Specification of LettersPatent.

V Patented Dec. 5, 1905. v

- Application led December 27, 1904. Serial No. 288,808.

-which the following is a specication, reference'being made to the accompanying' drawin s, forming a part thereof.

he purpose' of this invention isto provide an improved apparatus or system of coperstructures and -devices for treating ating #woo to reduce it to ber and obtain there-l from valuable li uid roducts toj-avoid` the necessity of hand ing t e wood at any steplin st the rocess after it is'delivered to the l mac e for crushing' it `until it is delivered .which the roduct of the shred er is delivfronr'th'e final device' in the form yof wood ber orwood-pulp and in which the various i liquid and V.vaporous products shall in like i manner be 4taken vof` at proper stages in the loperation automaticall or `lwithout necesls1ty of manipulation ot er than the. openin andl closing of proper valves and gates; an

. 'as apart of this' generalpurpose one specific pupo'se of the invention -1s to avoid exposure of t e material which is being treated tothe i u' atmosphere after it has been subjected to the 3 action of heat and moisture for liquefying and vaporizing 'itselements' Which are subject to such action, and thereby to revexft not only the waste of these valuab e products bytheir escape inwapor form, but also to reduce and as nearly as possible remove the danger arising from the inilanimability of thesevvapors.

The invention consists of the features of eonstructi'on'and organization of the entire -4o a paratus shown and describedasfset out in t e'claims. y j

'In' the drawings, Figure 1 is' a plan "view of i y I a Plant embodying th apparatus constitutin this invention. ig. 2 1s a front elevation o y y the same, parts below ground being shown in Fig. 3 is avertical sectlon at' dottedl line.

' the-line 3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 .is a section at l l. the line 4: 4-on F1g`. 1y ythrough'fthe digester,

roll-housin and.connecting`conduit.- Fig.

'50 5 is a detai section showing the steamipes l entering the Hill-housing.` f Flg. 61s a] etail l "a'xial section of the di ester-shaft'l at the end .portionsand of the a jacent 'portions of the digestersheads for showing the steam-entrance andivapor-exit. Fi 7 is an axial sec- .tion of the end portions o one of the rolls,

showing the steam-entrance and waste-water exit. A The entirefap aratis shown in the drawindgs col'nprises,l st, a hog or grinder.l A, a apted to receive the Wood in chunks -or fragments (the purpose being to utilize the .refuse slabs and fragments 'ofvpine andother resinous woods) .and reduce the same bymacyeration to comparatively ine fragments, so

y that it can be handled in mass very much as 'short-fibered' wool or chop ved straw mi ht be handled; second,ashre er A,forfurt er reducing the Wood mechanically to shreds, s linters, or filamentary fragments; third, a

igester B, ywhich is a horizontal c linder into ered and w erein it is subjected to the action of steam for digesting it by heat and moisturejto liquefy and vaporize the vportions Which may be thus reduced; fourth, a system of wringing or pressing rolls C, contained in a housingD, 'the fiber' product of the di- ,gester after draining therefrom 'the liquids which may be thusV separated and lexhaustin the vapor products from the digester belng delivered to the rolls therein, and thereby pressed andv ground to express from theibrous mass the remaining liquid which they contain and at the same tlme reduce the ssy mass to the condition'more strictly denominated ber/f for WhiIchreason this step of .tleprocess is called fiberizing. Theresultant fiber is conducted awa fromthe discharge side of the rolls asthe al step in the rocess. l The vapor products separated om the mass by the action of the steam 1n the digester andthe further vapors which are given of in the ste of the process which 1s Aperformed by the rolls are withdrawn from the digester and from the roll-housing, re-

spectively, by an exhauster E throughsuita 1e .conduits 'or exhaust-pipes E and E,

lleading from the digester `and roll-housing,

respectively. Thellquids drawn from the mass in the digester and expressed therefrom by the rolls are pum ed'away from the.` digester and dra-ined om the roll-housing, respectively,'by a pump F through conduits F and F, by which they lare dellvered to a distilling apparatus. (Not shown.,` io avoid the handling of the wood after it is delivered to the hog, the shredder A is depressed, so that the product passes by ravity through the inclined chute A2 to the s redder, and an endless conveyer` and elevator H is provided for conductin the shredded mass of wood from the shre der to a hopper J for deliverin it into the digester B, which has a manhoe with a removable cover B for that purpose, and it is especially important that the shredded mass exposed to the steam(through means hereinafter described) in the digester, and thereby heated and moistened, should not thereafter be exposed to the outer air until the process is completed, both because such exposure would involve waste of the heat, which is necessary to maintain the valuable products of the wood in liquefied condition until the treatment is complete, and also because such exposure would permit the escape of considerable uantities of the hydrocarbon vapors whic it is the purpose of the rocess to preserve and condense and whic being highly inflammable would render the process dangerous if their free escape at any stage was permitted. There is therefore provided a closed conduit N, leading from the hopper-mouthpiece P', which is adapted to register with a discharge-manhole B2 of the digester into the housing D of the roll system C, and in this closed conduit an endless conveyer. K operates to conduct the liber mass which is discharged onto it from the digester and deliver the same to the hopper D for directing its dischar e to the upper side of the first pair of rolls o the system C. Inasmuch as each item of this apparatus is necessaril very heavy and not suitable to be mounted7 on upper floors of a building, but, on the contrary, should be supported directly upon firm foundations, it is necessary for the Icontinuous handlin of the material in the manner indicated t at the conveyer for conducting it from step to step or from element to element of the apparatus should be elevators, so that the material delivered from the bottom of the shredder is carried up for delivery into the top of the digester and when delivered from the bottom of the digester is carried up for delivery into the upper part of the roll-housing, as seen in the drawings. inasmuch as the extraction of the elements of the Wood which can be liquefied by heat and moisture requires that such heat and moisture should be continuously applied throughout all stages of the process o extracting such elements, not onl the digester B, but also the roll-housing g and rolls C therein, are kept supplied with steam for the purpose of both heat and moisture. The digester receives its suppl of steam by a ipe L through the center o the shaft B3, W 'ch carries within the digester arms B30 for feedin the fibrous material longitudinally theret rough for filling and l gether and the ivot emptyin it. The roll-housing and the rolls are supp ied with steam b the M the former being branc ied fo elivering the steam through the housing-wall at the lines of tangency of the two systems of rolls therein, so that it may be directed onto the material as it asses between the rolls, while the pipes Ml gl deliver the steam through the shafts of the rolls of the second set into said rolls, which are hollow, for heating them directly and more completely than it is necessary to heat the first set. The water of condensation from these rolls is taken ofi by pipes M2 M2.

For the same reason for which it is im ortant that the shredded wood fiber shoul be conducted from the digester to the fibering a paratus without exposure it is desirable t at the means of connectin the digester and the hopper leading to t e conduit N should be one which can be operated so that no substantial opening shall occur by means of which vapors might escape in the transfer of said material from the digester to the conduit. For this purpose the cover B* of thc discharge manhole B2 of the digester is mounted in slideways B20 on the manholefitting, so that it slides longitudinally with respect to the cylinder for covering and uncovering the manhole. The manholefitting has a flange B21 extending around the manhole-opening, which rojects beyond the lane of the slide-cover 3, and the conduit has a telescoping mouthpiece or hopper P', which is adapted to telescope also within the iiange B21 up to the shoulder or seat B22 of the latter, and said seat B22 may be provided with a packing p for making a tight seat for the upper edge of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece P is also fitted with a valve or gate P10, ada ted to be swung up against the under side o a stop-shoulder P for closing the mouthpiece and to be dro ed to vertical position, as shown in dotte ine in Fig. 4, for opening the same. The rock-shaft or hinge-pintle of this gate `or valve P1 extends to the exterior, where it may be provided with suitable handle for rocking the valve to open and close it, and said handle may be weighted, as shown at P2,'to hold the gate normally closed up against the shoulder. P11. Any convenient means may be provided for raising and lowering the telescopin mouthpiece-sueh as, for example, a air of inks L L at the two opposite sides of t e conduit-and mouthpiece, one linkof each air pivoted to the conduit and the other to t e mouthpiece,

the two links of the pair being pivoted too connected by a ink L', extending at one side Iof the conduit to one of the arms of a bellcrank lever L3, fulcrumed on the conduit, and having another arm or handle L4, which may be operated to push the links L L into line, upholding the mouthpiece or to fold them, as

pipes M M" one of the pairs being IIO irq

seen'in Fig. 4, to'allow the mouthpiece to, de-

scend.

By keeping the exhauster in operation during the period of discharge-of the shredded material from the digester -into the conduit there will be caused an intake of air throu h `any crevices that may exist, and thus` t e fr leakage of inflammable vapors will be prevented; but it is still necess'ary to make the connection between the digester and conduit as close as practicable, because any consider-l able entrance of air'would cool the -product and diminish'the efliciency of the apparatus.' It will be understood that upon bringing the digester to rest in position for dischar e through the discharge-manhole the kmout lowered, leaving the digester free for another i piece B will be first thrust upwardto the shoulder B22. The valve P10 will then be opened and the manhole-cover withdrawn in its slideways. The contents of the digester having been discharged into the conduit; the valve P10; will be closed and the mouthpiece i charge, which it will receive after the dischargeemanholehas been closed. The manhole-cover maybe bound tightly in closedfi i positionby bolts b2 112, which can be slacked'l and filled, and the above description of the digester and its relation to the remainder of the apparatus may apply to either of the di- -1 terial a 'when the bottom of the trough is opened b dropping the trap-doors H thelmaterial wil ,pass througlhV gesters at any moment in use; but in .order to `turn the delivery of the shredded wood into either digester at will the trough of the con-- veyer H, which at the end delivers into the more remote digester has, at a point above the hopper of the conveyer first reached a trap-door H in its bottom, which may be p pened by slidin it back in its slide-bearings 2, as shown in otted line in Fig. 3, to cause the shredded material to be delivered into said first conveyer. The conveying apparatus, as seen in Fig. 1 consists of the two arallel chains Hl H3 and connectin cross` ars or pushers for pushin the shred ed maong the floor of t e trough, so that cross-bars of the lower ply of the chain'.

The two roll-housings and the. inclosed mechanism are shown. 'I he foregoing descriptionmay be taken as"applied toeither 53: one of them, so far as the general operationl is concerned; but when two are employed-it 1s only for the purpose of repeatin the process of fiberlzm the materiall de ivered to l them, andv in lt 's case the fiber delivered from the rolls of the first housing is carried cated, means by an endless conveyer (represented conventionally at R) and carried up through a closed conduit S, which-connectsl the two housings,

1 and delivered to the roll of the second housing in the same manner as the conveyer of the conduit N delivers the shredded fi er to the rolls of the first housing, and from the iinal `rolls of the second housing the fiber is delivered by an` endless conveyer T, by

which it may be understood that it is conducted to any suitablereceptacle.

I claini- 1. In an ap aratus for the purpose indicated, means or comminuting the Wood; a .dlgester forlsteannng theresultant' mass.; a

system of rolls for expressing the liquids vfrom the mass and fiberizing the remainder,

in combination with conveyers leading respectively from the coniminuting means, to t e digester and from, the digester to the berizing-rollsl and from the rolls for final discharge of the fiber.

2. In an ap aratus for the purpose indi-l v-ciated, means or 'comminuting the woodga digester for steaming the comrninuted product rolls for expressing the fluids from the product of the digester and a housing inclosing such rolls; conveyers leading respectively from 'the coniminuting means to the digester andfronil the digester to the rolls and from' the rolls for final discharge of -the fiber; an exhauster and conduits thereto leading from the digester and from. the roll-housing for gathering the vapors from'both. 3. In an apparatus for the purpose indie or comminuting the wood; a digester for steaming the comminuted product; rolls for expressing the fluidsfrom the product of the digester and a housing inc1os ving such rolls; conveyers leading respectivelyifrom the comminuting means to the digester and from the digester to' the' rollsand from' the rolls for final discharge of the fiber; a pump and Aconduits thereto from the Idigester and roll-housing) respectively for gathering the liquid from receptacle.

4. In an ap aratus for the purposeV indicated,.m'eans or comminuting the Wood; a

th .to a common digester for steaming the comminuted prod-y uct; rolls for expressing the fluids from the product ofthe digester and-a housing inclosing su'ch rolls; conveyersleading respectively v l from-the comminuting means to the digester into the hopper between the IZO ' latter; a housing in which sai mass to be treated therein; a system of pressing-rolls and means for delivering thereto from the digester the brous (product of the rolls are contained; means for sup lying steam to the diester and to the ro -housin a conveyer or taking the product of the igester to the rolls and housin for such conveyer continuousv with the rol -housing whereby the fiber mass is kept inclosed from its first exposure to the steam until its final delivery.

6. An 'apparatus for the pur ose indicated comprising, in combination wit the digester, means for delivering thereto a ibrous mass to be treated therein; a system of pressingrolls and means for delivering thereto from the digester the fibrous roduct of the latter; a housing in which sai rolls are contained; means for su plying steam to the digester and to the ro l-housing; a conveyer Jfor taking the product of the digester to the rolls, and housin for such conveyer continuous with the rol -housing; an exhauster and connections thereto from the roll-housing, for maintaining inflow of gases and preventing 'their escape through all the a ertures, inlets or crevices of said housing an the connected cavity of .the conveyer-housing.

7. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising a device for mechanically reducing the wood; an endless elevating-conveyer leading from the device for carrying away and simultaneously elevatin the product from the latter; an elevate hopper into which the elevating-conveyer discharges; a digester rinto which the hopper leads; an elevating-conveyer to which the digester delivers its fiber product for conducting said product away from the digester and simultaneously elevating it, and a series of wringing-rolls located one above another, the lastmentioned elevator being adapted to deliver to the u per of said rolls, and said rolls being adapte to deliver successively from a pair above to a pair below, and a conveyer to 'which the lowest pair of rolls of the series delivers the fiber product.

8. In an apparatus for the purpose indicated, a continuously-inclosed path for the Wood fiber product durin treatment and means in such path for treating it comprising a digester and means for supplying 1t with steam for steaming the mass; a series of rolls for wringing the product of the digester and iberizing it, and a housing for such rolls; a conveyer for takin the product of the digester to the rolls an a housingior such conveyer, the last-mentioned houslng being continuous with the housing of the rolls, and at its receiving end making 'unction with the discharge-aperture of the digester,

9. In an apparatus for the purpose indicated, the combination of a rotatable digester and a conduit into which it discharges, the digester having a discharge-manhole provided with a sliding cover and the conduit having an adjustable mouthpiece adapted to be thrust radially with respect to the digester for registration with the discharge-manhole.

10. In an apparatus 'for the purpose indicated, the combination of a digester rotatable about a horizontal axis and a conduit below the same into which it discharges, the digester having its discharge-manhole provided with a Vfitting having longitudinal slideways and a flat manhole-cover operating in said slideways, the conduit having a mouthpiece movable radially with respect to the digester and adapted to register under the digester discharge-manhole and to seat upon the manhole-fitting outside the manhole-cover slideways of the latter.

11. In an apparatus for the purpose indicated, the combination of a rotatable digester and a conduit into which it discharges, the digester hav ing a discharge-manhole provided with a manhole-fitting having aflange enceinassing the manhole-opening projecting ofi1 rom the body of the digester and the conduit having a mouthpiece movable radially with` respect to the digester adapted to telescope with said manhole-encompassing flange, and r a valve in said mouthpiece.

12. In anv apparatus for the purpose indicated, the combination of a rotatable digester and a conduit into which it discharges, the digester having a discharge-manhole and a manhole-fitting about the same, the conduit having a mouthpiece adapted to be thrust radially toward the digester and to register with the manhole-fitting; means for operating such movable mouthplece consisting of' similar pairs of links at two opposite sides, one link of each pair being pivoted to the mouthpiece and the other to the conduit and adapted when in line to hold the mouthpiece projected operating-links connected to the pivots of said airs of links respectively, said operating-links being connected at their ends remote from said pivots, and a bell-crank lever fulcrumed on the conduit and connections therefrom for actuating the operatinglinks to fold and straighten the pairs of links.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of November, 1904.

' ARTHUR W. HANDFORD.

IOO

IIO 

